The Environmental Protection Agency released its updated Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda and community partnership effort on April 29.

The strategy, according to Bob Perciasepe, the agency's deputy administrator, focuses on clarifying how green infrastructure can and should be used in regulation and enforcement, outreach and information exchange, financing and tool development and capacity building.

So far, the EPA has selected 10 municipalities to showcase green infrastructure benefits and work out details of implementing the program.

The cities include Austin, Texas; Boston; Cleveland; Denver; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Puyallup, Wash.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Washington, D.C., and its neighboring communities in the watershed of the Anacostia River.

To read more information in the EPA’s memo supporting green infrastructure, click here.

The EPA also has released a joint memorandum between its Office of Water and its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance that strongly encourages communities to use green infrastructure to manage wet weather and meet Clean Water Act requirements.

To read the memorandum, click here.

The NAHB staff is in the process of reviewing these documents.

For more information, email Ty Asfaw at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8124.